Bottle dispensing apparatus



-Oct. 7, 1941.

w. 1.. CUNNINGHAM BOTTLE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 26, 1939 INVENTOR.

%z/f9r Quail-JAE,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 7, 1941 7 ED STATES PATENT OFFICE i "-Bo'r'rLE' DISPENSING APPARATUS Walter L. Cunningham, Muncie, Ind. Application necember ze, 1939, Serial Nb. 310,915 i 2 Claims. (cine- 88) Myiinvention relates to. improvements in' a container dispensing apparatus, particularly of that type wherein the operator may optionally,

select any one of a number of containersto'be controlling the dispensing operation.

One of the objects of myinventi'on is to provide a dispenser having aplurality of communi eating slots in the top portion thereof through which the necks of the containers are adapted to project, these slots, however, being narrow enough to prevent th'efremoval of a container, with coin-controlled meansjfor controlling the removal of the containers from the apparatus.

Another object of my invention is to provide a structure as above described, wherein practiw cally all of the coin-controlled means and its operating parts may be mounted on the exterior of the casing so that it will not be subject to the corroding moisture on the interior or the casing. Another object of my invention is to provide a structure having the above characteristic which is extremely simple both in construction and operation.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention, I have illustrated an embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a dispenser embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the structure illustrated, a suitable skeleton frame is provided, comprising the bottom member I, and the top member 2. This top member is provided with a plurality of relatively narrow slots 3 terminating in a common slot 4. One of these slots 3 also at one end terminates in an enlarged opening 5. These slots are sufliciently large to accommodate the neck of a container but are suficiently small to prevent the container from being withdrawn through the slots. The enlarged opening 5, however, is suificiently large to accommodate the container and permit the same to be withdrawn therefrom.

Upwardly and downwardly extending fins 6.

and 1 are arranged within the skeleton frame and so disposed relatively to the slots 3 and 4 as to. provide bottle or container channels. Immediately beneath the opening 5, I provide a receptacle 8 having one side open and this open side faces the slot 3 with which the enlarged opening cooperates so that when a container is moved to a position to beremoved from the structure, it will have been moved into this re-- 2 by hinge l0.

ceptacle 8 with its neck projecting through the, opening 5'. i

The opening 5 is partially closed by a hinged blocker 9 secured on the top of the top member It will be noted that when the hinged blocker 9 is in its normal position, the enlarged opening 5 is sufficiently closed to prevent the'removal of the bottle therethrough while at the same time it permits the neck of a'bottle to project above the topto permit handling of thebottle.

A closure or blocker member I! is. secured on an oscillating shaft 12 mounted in depending bearings 13 extending downwardly from the top' member 2. This closure or blocker member, when in normalposition, that'is, when the blocker member-9 is in its normal or closed position, is swung into a position to permit free access to the receptacle 8. When, however, the blocker member 9 is swung upwardly to permit the removal of a container through the opening 5, the blocker or closure member II is swung across the open face of the receptacle 8, thereby preventing the movement into the receptacle of a container.

The shaft I2 is oscillated by a lever [4 which projects upwardly through the top 2 and is provided with a slot I4 to receive a pin I5 on a vertically disposed plate l5 carried by a shoe l6 which, in turn, is connected to the reciprocating arm I! of a suitable coin-control device IS. The coin-control device is such that when the arm I! is moved to its retracted position, the plunger i9 thereof is in a position to receive a coin. In this position, it is to be noted that While the blocker 9 is released so that it can be raised, the blocker member H is thrown for- Ward to prevent access to the receptacle 8. In operation, with the parts in the position illustrated and a bottle being in the receptacle 8, the operator, by retracting the plunger l9 to the right (looking at Fig. 2) will retract the shoe or plate IE to the point where it will permit the raising of the blocker 9 and the removal of the bottle. This retracting movement, at the same time, swings the blocker ll into the dotted line position and across the face of the receptacle opening preventing the movement of another bottle into the receptacle. Thus a single bottle only may be removed. With the retraction of the plunger IS, the coin releases the connection between the plunger I9 from the arm I! and escapes into the coin receptacle of the coin controller I8. In order, now, to remove another bottle, a coin is deposited in the coin controller,

thus connecting the plunger l9 with the arm IT. The operator may now push the plunger l9 and with it the arm I! to the left, looking at Fig. 2, which swings the blocker ll into its full. line position, as shown in Fig. 2. This movement, however, slides the shoe l6 over the blocker 9 and while a bottle may be moved into the receptacle 8, it cannot be axially removed through the opening 5. However, as soon as the operator retracts the plunger l9 to the right, the blocker 9, will be freed, with the blocker ll again swung into position to prevent the movement of another bottle into the receptacle 8.

At the passage of the body of the container, one of said same time the coin releases the plunger H from the arm I l and to remove another bottle, an-

other coin will have to be deposited.

I claim as my invention: 7

l. A coin-controlled dispenserfor containers comprising a slotted top member having a plurality of inter-communicating slots of suchdimension as to permit the neck of a container to project therethrough while restricting passage of the body of the container, one of said slots being enlarged to provide'a passage opening to permit the passage of a container therethrough, a receptacle disposed beneath said enlarged opening having one side open to permit the movement of a container into said receptacle, a blocker member. oscillatinglysupported'from the un der face of said top member and normally in position topermit' a'container to be deposited in said receptacle, a second blocker member at least partially covering said enlarged opening and swingable to permit the removal of a container through said opening, a coin-controlled means for operating'said first-mentioned blocker" plurality of inter-communicating slots of such dimensions as to permit the neck of the container to project therethrough while restricting the slots being enlarged to provide a passage opening large enough to accommodate the body of a container, a receptacle arranged beneath said enlarged opening having one side open to reposition.

ceive a container therein, a blocker member for said enlarged opening at least closing the opening sufficiently to prevent the removal of the container through said opening and swingable to unblock said opening, a blocker member hinged beneath said cover and swingable in front of the entry to said'receptacle, a lever connected member when the plunger is moved to swing the second-mentioned blocker member into unblockin position and removable from obstructing position when said plunger is moved to swing said second-mentioned blocker member into blocking "WALTER L. CUNNINGHAM; 

